Orange Walk, May 17, 2009 - Belmopan 3B’s women’s football squad won the Football Federation of Belize’s Delhart Courtney Cup by winning Game 2 of the championship series 3-1 against the Sugar City Girls of Orange Walk at the People’s Stadium on Saturday, May 9.

Kaina Martinez gave the 3B’s their first look at the goal with a shot that goalie Carla Alvarez came out to block, but as in Game 1 in Belmopan the week before, Alvarez’s bulk stopped her from getting down and hugging the ball. Rhonda Welcome welcomed the rebound from Alvarez’s deflection with a right away shot that blasted the ball back into the empty net to take a 1-zip lead.

Sugar City’s defender Patricia Espinoza tied the ball game with a penalty conversion when 3B’s Kaya Cattouse took down one of the Sugar City players inside the goal area. But the home girls did not hold on to the draw for long.

Lourdes Torres replaced Alvarez in the Sugar City goal after Alvarez got hurt, but Vanessa Maldonado, Abby Halliday, Lynette “Panchy” Gabourel and Tara Hernandez were supporting Welcome’s attacks at midfield. Torres proved no match for Welcome when Halliday set the table for Welcome to blast in a 2nd goal and the visitors took a 2-1 lead into the half time break.

Sugar City’s Karen Garcia, Miriam Villamil and Maria Pena tried to even the score in the 2nd half, with Makiko O’hara, Noemi and Aliany Magana breaking up the 3B’s plays at midfield, but the home girls’ offensive had to contend with 3B’s MVP defender Rosebelle Ogaldez and Robin Gillett and Shadalee Ho. Goalie Marguerite Hulse took care of the rest, coming up to scoop up the ball and forestall many an attack.

In the 2nd half, 3B’s Jahna Trapp entered the game for Vanessa Maldonado and Sugar City’s Melanie Garcia subbed for Aliany Magana. The visitors won a free kick and Shirley Codd’s execution tested Lourdes Torres’ reflexes to the max. Torres deflected the ball, but before her defense could clear away the danger, Jahna Trapp tapped the loose ball into the net to take a 3-1 lead.

That was all she wrote for the Sugar City Girls; even though veteran Abigail Almendarez subbed for Makiko O’hara, the 3B’s also refreshed their attack with Wendy Thomas subbing for Abby Halliday and Grace Williams for Kaina Martinez to secure the 3-1win at the final whistle.

The former BNFA president Delhart Courtney presented the 1st and 2nd place trophies and medals to the Belmopan and Sugar City girls. The Toledo Females won 3rd place. The award for Most Goals went to Sugar City’s Karen Garcia and 3B’s Rosebelle Ogaldez won the Most Valuable Player award.

 Courtney then presented the Delhart Courtney Cup to the 3B’s coach Kent Gabourel and goalie Maggie Hulse. The champs will keep the Cup for one year until it is time to pass it on to next year’s champions. The first team to win the Cup 3 times will keep it.